This course introduces students to both the dominant areas of inquiry in sociology and the meth-ods that have been devised to investigate them. Emphasis in this course is on investigation. The course familiarizes students with the methods, techniques, and language of social science research. Focusing on field and survey research, the course examines the ways social scientists formulate questions, collect and analyze data, and present their findings. The course is also concerned with the epistemological underpinnings of “doing sociology.” How do sociologists define “fact” and “truth”? What are the historical and contemporary debates over these concepts? To provide students with a hands-on understanding of concepts and issues, students are expected to collect and analyze original data. The class also does computer statistical analysis of pre-existing data bases. Open to sophomores and juniors. (Formerly SOAN 210, The Craft of Sociological Inquiry.) Prerequisites: SOCI 101 (formerly SOAN 101) with a grade of C or higher or permission of the instructor.